It’s wild that today marks 1 year of working on Harvous.

Harvous didn't start as Harvous at all. God planted this calling in my heart along with Proverbs 25:2, which talks about how God conceals things and it's our job to search them out. And man, did I do some searching to figure out what He actually wanted me to build.

I initially thought God wanted me to make something to bring families together. Growing up not feeling heard, I figured a family journaling app would solve that for me and hopefully other families too. I called it "Hike" and gave it a chair logo because when I think about reflecting and taking rest, I think about sitting down. A chair just made sense as that symbol. And "Hike" felt right because it's a journey at a casual pace — just like your mental health and journaling.

My best friend (at the time) and I teamed up to build it. I was fresh off a divorce, which honestly just fueled my drive to create something meaningful around connection. But like Proverbs 25:2 suggests, God hadn't revealed the whole picture yet.

Then things got wild. My friend and I had a disagreement about churches, and he basically ended our friendship right after our weekly Bible study. Talk about timing. He deleted everything — the app didn't exist anymore. I was heartbroken, but I got back up because I knew God had called me to build something, even if Hike wasn't it.

Soon after, I found out Apple was releasing their own journal app. And if I'm being real, my family probably wouldn't have used Hike anyway. These weren't just random setbacks — they were God's way of pointing me in a different direction.

So, back to the drawing board.

It’s now 2024.

This time I thought, "What if I build something that's useful even if I'm the only one who uses it?" I briefly thought about an app for creating and managing gardens to continue my family's farming legacy. I wasn't personally into gardening, but that's actually how the name "Harvous" came about — a play on "harvest" and "community." My fiancé called it "Hike 2.0," and I liked that the chair would conceptually live on even with a different logo.

Around this time, I started using Duolingo for fun and was blown away by how it made learning effortless. I'd spend hours on it without even noticing. And it hit me — I struggle with studying the Bible, mainly because I personally lack comprehension. What if I could build something that made Bible study as engaging as Duolingo makes language learning?

But there was another layer to uncover.

Duolingo works so well because learning languages is pretty linear. There's a clear starting point to build from. The Bible isn't like that. Sure, you can learn core concepts, but then where do you go? There are so many options. This realization shifted my focus to creating a Bible app aka a faith tool.

Which is wild.  Because even though I left my church job (for good reason), it remains one of my favorite, most fulfilling jobs. Maybe God wants me to directly impact His kingdom.

I started thinking about my own Bible study habits — constantly jumping between YouVersion and Apple Notes. What if there was a modern, fun alternative?

That's when the Harvous notes app was born—a notes-first app designed specifically for Bible study.

You'd create your own study Bible where all your notes are saved, whether from your physical Bible, a digital Bible reader, or from conversation. And with these notes, Harvous would create only opportunities for you to share with others and learn more from what you’ve saved.

Throughout this journey, God brought me a new friend who (crazy enough) actually used to work at YouVersion and now has an app directory for Christian apps called Faith Tools. He and I work together on Harvous now — I focus on design, he focuses on programming. I believe God brought us together for a reason — it was God revealing another piece of His plan.

Looking back over three years — two with Hike and one with Harvous — I can see Proverbs 25:2 playing out.

God concealed what He wanted me to build, and my job was to keep searching it out. What started as a family connection tool evolved into something different but exactly right — helping people engage more deeply with scripture through their own notes — bible study time.

The chair that symbolized Hike lives on in spirit with Harvous — a place to sit, reflect, and connect with God's Word. And the journey continues as we keep uncovering new aspects of God's vision for this app.

The past 9 months were me solo figuring out the direction and design of the app. Then the past few months have been with Cam Pak, who I’m so grateful to not only have as a friend but as someone who has generously offered to help get the app developed. This is still very much a side project. But, my goal, God willing, is to have this be my full-time job.

I’m eager to start using Harvous myself! The goal is to solve the problem I’ve been having with my Bible study and in turn I think it’ll help many others. And we’re pushing for this Fall!